My name is Barb Phillips and I am a Thanadoula. What is a Thanadoula? In simple terms a Thanadoula is a community deathcare practitioner. A guide who accompanies a dying person and/or family and friends through a personal, intentional and conscious dying process to realize a good death. “As defined by the National Home Funeral Alliance."

"Thank you Barb for your valued presence during the last 6 months of my mother's life before her passing. I don't know how I would have survived this emotionally challenging time without your Thanadoula services and your invaluable support to all of us. My entire family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts. I encourage everyone who is experiencing loss to consider the services of Barb as a Thanadoula. I know everyone who came across Barb's services during our journey (ie: doctors, nurses, health care professionals, etc.) were all amazed by what Barb offers and they were thoroughly impressed with the value she brought to the Circle of Care for my mother. Thanks Barb !!" ~ Michael Crane

As a community deathcare practitioner, my services are wholistic and are on a continuum of helping individuals and families plan for the future by providing end of living planning documents ie. (advance care plans, estate planning and home funeral criteria, advance medical directives) to working with the dying person and family accompanying and educating them throughout the death experience, facilitating family led after death home care, and attending to spiritual or ceremonial needs as requested. As a Life-Cycle Celebrant® I am honoured to work with families and/or friends to create a highly personalized ceremony (funeral, memorial, celebration of life, interment, inurnment) that is a true reflection of the life and soul of the departed.

"Barb, you have been an invaluable link between our mother and us, her children, living on the opposite side of the country. By helping mom with a myriad of issues facing a senior living alone, you have provided practical and emotional support, as well as peace of mind. We consider you a trusted family friend." ~ Susanna G, Vancouver, BC

I started on a personal journey when I became close friends with one of my older adult students. At the time, neither of us realized that I would eventually play a key role in the planning and preparation of this friends dying and death time. Being present and witness to his death was a life-changing experience for me. Participating in the planning process was an amazing privilege that taught me a lot about how people come to this place called death. Having endless conversations, recalling life events, lessons learned and how to die when it is our time – all these experiences together brought to focus what life and living was all about. I was inspired to learn more.

Let’s begin the conversations and discussions of personal preferences about our end of living care and help minimize the fear by embracing the truth for all of us. Having the opportunity to be actively involved in decision making about our end of living is a gift and this website outlines some of the ways that I can assist you with the process of planning and implementing those decisions.

Feel free to browse through my website pages and I would welcome the opportunity to meet and talk with you about the various Thanadoula services and family-directed home funeral options I can assist with. I look forward to hearing from you.

I consider it an honour and privilege to be able to offer my support to individuals facing illness and death and to their families, in whatever form they find most meaningful.